Housekeeping Anne Marie Mallon

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In Anne-Marie Mallon’s critical essay on Housekeeping she makes a claim how even though the two sisters are family and living together, they are not living the same life. Mallon views the two sisters as opposites where Lucille yearns for the approval of kids her own age and will “improve” herself until she gets it. While Ruth refuses to do that and would much rather spend her days and nights with her crazy aunt. This claim while bold, exactly portrays the differences between the two sisters. After reading Mallon’s essay, the one thing that stuck out to me was this claim because it matched my thoughts throughout the whole book. In the reading I found myself comparing myself to Lucille and my brother to Ruth because of the relationship that we …show more content…

From the beginning Lucille wants to forget about the family’s past in Fingerbone. While Ruth is not 100% stuck in the past she still has a foot in the door where she cannot let go. Even with this foot in the door, Ruth is able to hold back Lucille so much so that she has to leave. Lucille had to take steps backwards and let go of her only family to be able to move forward with her life. It is only when she does this that3 she becomes “safe”(97) from unconventional life. In her essay, Mallon writes at this point in the book “we silently applaud.” This is true because up until that point I was anxious of when Lucille would come to her senses and finally break free to a new life. While I agree with Mallon here, I view the way she portrays Lucille differently. Mallon views Lucille leaving her family as a way to fit the stereotype lifestyle of Fingerbone. I view Lucille leaving her family as an escape from a trap. Lucille was unable to move forward with her life trapped with Ruth and Sylvie. Once she did escape she would just be absorbed into society rather than trying her hardest to fit in to the stereotype. The way I view Lucille escaping the trap can also be viewed from the opposing side. Ruth thinks that society is the trap and Sylvie is the safe-haven, so she must escape from Fingerbone and all of their opposing

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